Seiichi Daimo
Garwood, New Jersey, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2014 | INDIE
Music
Press
"People die, relationships crumble, but the world keeps spinning. And in the mist of it all, Daimo’s intricate folk derives beauty from a sense of acceptance." Laura Studarus - MTV IGGY - MTV IGGY
"The entire collection is well written and just different enough to get its grip on you and hold on tight." Laura B. Whitmore - Guitar World - Guitar World
It feels like the year of “folk revival” has come and gone. The fad has faded and the blogs have moved on, and while this sounds like a depressing realization to the artists pouring their passion into it, it’s perfect for Seiichi Daimo, and the best part is he may not even care. The young Japanese-American is a blunt individual with his heart on his sleeve, and it seems in the end, he doesn’t care how or what capacity he’s heard; in the end, he just wants to be heard. Regardless, he will be heard by many; the lanes are all open for him, and his timing couldn’t be more impeccable for his debut appetizer, In The Inbetween.
While In The Inbetween is delicious, it is an appetizer in the end. It almost feels too short, clocking at just over 17 minutes, but that’s all Daimo needs to get his points across. His voice is reminiscent of a bassier Jeff Mangum, and his stringed instrument proficiency is toned down just enough to get that voice across. He blends his banjo runs in with the soft bass undertones perfectly on “Can You Hear Me”, as his dialect twists between a southern drawl and his signature foundation, slurring his words as he declares “Your voice is like poison, and I can’t take another drink.” Almost to the point where you believe the metaphor. His strength is his imagery through arrangement: as standalone lyrics, the songs are tracings, and the music without his voice is just another Mumford And Sons coloring book. Combined, In The Inbetween becomes a Salvador Dali painting.
The best thing about the EP is not the paintings, however, but the promise behind them. Daimo’s choice of such a short release seems strategic, giving subtext of progression behind the safe songs we’re already oh so familiar with. The chorus of “In The Inbetween”, the title track, states “We know the best is yet to come,” as triumphant horns immerse the skeleton Daimo constructs, and he couldn’t be more right. The moments his songs shine the most are in the moments when he maximizes his approach, breaking out of his box in a tasteful manner. He’s given us our appetizer, now it’s time for him to bring on the buffet.
Words by Dustin Harkins - Static Magazine
Discography
In The Inbetween 2014
Photos
Bio
Music as a mechanism for escape isnt a foreign concept. For people of all ages all across the globe, music has provided a haven where a person can be vulnerable, relate to another human in a universal sense and feel accepted.
Seiichi Daimo has been one of those people for a long time. Coming from a family that immigrated to the United States, he was frequently uprooted, moving from Manhattan to San Diego and LA, to finally settling in New Jersey. Seiichi's youth provided its fair share of obstacles. There was a feeling of absence and abandonment from both of my parents growing up, he says. "I was resentful. I couldn't relate to people. So he turned to music.
Seiichi's Japanese-American culture turned him onto playing violin at a young age, he then became interested in learning to play the guitar for the sole purpose of writing his own music. Without many major musical influences in his youth, a middle school-aged Seiichi found his way into a local music scene in South Plainfield, NJ. Brand New, Thrice, Taking Back Sunday, Fall Out Boy and City & Colour entered the fold as influences as Daimo fronted his first band, playing music as a form of self-therapy. He explains: "It allowed me to take off the armor and the mask that I had on shielding me from the world.
Now a solo act, Seiichi continues to approach his music as an outlet. His debut EP, In The Inbetween, features four songs in a fleshed-out, full-band acoustic setting. Taking cues from the likes of Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly and Bob Dylan, the opening title track shows Seiichi knows his way around writing a comforting melody. The vocals are of pure heart, sung with passion to deliver open lyricism that is relatable for anyone: Im not the man that I wish that I was / But I do try / Ill sing my heart out tonight. Upon first listen, it's familiar, nostalgic and refreshingly new all the same.
In The Inbetween is the product of a man who wants to make his life his art, a man who uses music both as an outlet and as a way to hopefully help others, a man who isnt afraid to confront the realities of life. For me, music is a medium where you can be completely honest, Seiichi says. We all have closets we hide in, but music can break down those walls and connect us. I want to share my heart with whoever wants to listen."
In The Inbetween will be independently released on February 25th. It was recorded at Central Ave Studios in New Jersey and was produced by Joseph Stasio.
Band Members
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